Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-15

Some OF the Features Of the Market
During theP Past Week.

north side Of street, between 14th street and
Vermont avenue. Rudolph Goldschmidt to Jas
w. Johnston, for 81, 500, two lots at the north
east corner OF 10th and n streets 25x1O6 and COX
100 feet each. Marriott w. walker to B. L.
walker, Tor $4,000 property fronting 81 feet on
| the east side Of I'd street. between A street and
| Maryland avenue northeast and lot 52.6x75 feet
at the southeast corner OF 4th and streets north
east bucnanan Beale to John II. Voorhees, for
14th street, between T and o streets. Reginald
Fendan and samuel Maddox to the Institution for
Columbia for SIS, 100, property at the northeast
corner o. Maryiand avenue and ~ street SOUTH
vest fronting ut 107 feet on Maryland avenue WIN.
street, between and " streets, BY depth Of $50
the property outside Of the city is receiving as
mucn attention as that inside and when the
fhat t nor @ begins regularly It Is predicted
ing.
THE NEW COLUMBIA BANK BUILDING.
WofKmen Will begin In q short time to tear
down the building, OIL street. which the new
Columbia National bank has purchased, and upon
De ~, am ana sub
ing business. The building as 1t now stands is
two stories in height, and the designs for the new
tect, does away with the division OF stories and
provides Tor an interior consisting In the main of
anEe wh Lofty ne selling Of glass ana
to the light from this vaulted ceiling there will be
windows on each side Of the doorway and large
Of construction are light and air, and In this large
room with its lofty ceiling and spacious openings
that these been
with the view of specially adapting 1t to the re-
quirements Of the banking business. The counting
room, with It's screen Of wire netting and plate
the TWENTY-FIVE feet witch is the width
on inc ss Wh's yg only &c
building-113 feet. The ONCE OF the cashier will
be separated by screen from the counting room,
The outside OF the vault Will be built of enameled
brck, which will give it a very ornamental appear
fe c TINS way which r; win be Of the
proof manner and win be entirely separate from
al the walls of the building. The main part Of
mates at the back OF the vault and the remaining
portion runs to height of but 10 feet. 1t con:
tains large rooms for the use OF the president and
the directors and the employees OF the bank, and
ample light and ventilation is obtained from the
roof. The counting room, as may be seen, is very
feet and the Width Is feet. The plans show a mas
stve but attractive front. The material used will
be Maryland marble in large rOck-faced blocks,
ana the treatment adopts some OF the most effec-
tive features OF the Romanesque style Of archi-
lecture. The doorway is low, with heavy pillars
on each SIDE and the rough face Of the stone adds
no ornamentatton or fancy work and The building
win be very good illustration of plain, substan-
Work ON q number OF buildings about the city is
going on as the weather will allow. The new
delayed owias 20 sSor aro
bles at the quarrtes where the stone is obtained.
1t is expected that 1t will be completed April 1.
HIGH-PR1cED LAND.
The large sale OF land situated Just west Of the
KalOrama heights property, last week the particu-
lars Of which were published in THE STAR, may be
taken as an evidence OF the rapid appreciation in
prices: The property is the tract which be-
longed to the commissioners of the Freedman's
acres In August iss an1 c H i0 the
wel-known real estate operator, purchased this
property for $50 900, and after holding it for two
1000. This latter gentleman now sells the
property to Mr.. Douglass Green, OF New York city.
ana the gentlemen he represents for $500, 900.
THESE transactions show an appreciation in the
price OF property In three years from $3.50 per acre
to 500 per acre. This latter figure is the highest
that has ever been paid for land OF that distance be-
yond the Boundary. The KalOrama property, which
lies between the above tract and the Boundary.
and because OF It's being directly adjoining the city
limits, was regarded as very valuable, only brought
about s., 800 per acre in November last. Mr. Green
few weeks ago bought three acres OF the Lyons
Rock creek and adoins on the west his latest pur-
chase. He paid for 1t 5000 per acre. The same
syndicate bought the Varnell property on the
TenleytOwn road, containing sixty acres, month
or so ago, and paid 81 500 per acre.
THE SQUARES SOUTH OF THE AVENUE
The bill introduced in the House this week by
MI. Milliken providing for the purchase OF the land
south OF Pennsylvania avenue, between 9th and
18th streets, contemplates an improvement which
has repeatedly been suggested In THE STAR by
communications from citizens and by interviews.
The plan proposed. II carried out, would provide,
1t Is claimed, sufficient space for the erection OF
come, and would have the effect of improving the
appearance OF the avenue, which is recognized as
capable OF being made the grandest boulevard in
the world. Owing to the width of the Avenue 1T
has been found to be impracticable to make it
profitable bushes street on both Sides and in con-
sequence the south side has felt but slightly the
impulse OF the new life which has ornamented the
streets and avenues throughout the city with fne
business buildings and elegant private residences.
and lay them out In a park, which will be a con-
tinuation OF the Smithsonian and Agricultural
and there public buildings, a great improvement
In the appearance OF the city. Il is claimed, would
be effected. Competent authorities have expressed
the opinion That this Is the only method which
be adopted to preserve the avenue from falling
into neglected and shabby condition.
FIRE TRAPS IN MODERN HOUSES.
The IRE which broke out In the residence OF Mr..
Alexander Graham Bell on Scott Circle the early
part OF the week, might easily have been more
disastrous than it was ii 1t had not been for the
intelligent work OF the fremen. The flames origi-
mated in the mansard roof, which style Of CON
struction seems always ready to invite and lend
OF building Is no longer as general in this city as it
was few years ago, yet It's disuse Is owing to
Change III tH6 IaSnlOn OF aTCnlCGCJufe and not to
any regulations OF the District authorities. The
building regulations still permit the construction
OF such a root, providing it is not more than one
height from the upper story OF the building upon
which 1t is placed to the highest part OF the roof
When this height Is exceeded the regulations re-
Quire that the roof must be constructed OF fire.
proof material. 1t would seem to be sensible
thing to require proof construction long before
such height Is reached and any one who is fami-
liar with the method OF building and sup
porting roofs, even OF the moderate
height now in style, can readily appreciate
what fire trap they make. The houses as now
built have what Is called an air space OF three
story and roof The Joists OF the door are lert ex.
posed, and so are the roof timbers with the board
covering together with such strengthening beams
as may be considered necessary. The entire space
is nearly filled with wood, presenting as fine a
field Tor combustion as could possibly be desired
The heat OF summer and the artificial warmth of
winter in short time dries out this mass OF wood
until 1t becomes like finder, and is ruady material
for the smallest spark. There are buildings now
being erected In this city where the roofs as above
described can be seen with all their glaring de-
fect& II would seem to be the part OF wisdom that
stop should be made at once to this mode of con-
struction, and the use OF nre-prOof material more
generally required by the District authorities es-
pecially In this part OF a building.
A NEW TITLE COMPANY.
number Of lawyers who have for some years
maintained an organization known as ssThe Law
yers' Title association" and have made trans
script OF the records In the ONCE OF the recorder or
deeds, have decided to regularly INCORPORATE them
selves under the name OF 'Th0 Columbia Title In